At the Church of Christ in Forest Hill, we are committed to living by the truth of God’s Word and the example of Jesus Christ. These core beliefs express the foundation of our faith and the principles that shape our worship and service. They serve as a guide for how we grow in our relationship with God and with one another.

GOD

We believe that there is One God manifested through three distinct personalities, which are the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:6, Matthew 28:19)

 

JESUS

We believe that Christ Jesus, who was God in the flesh, came and died for our sins, in which he is our substitutionary sacrifice by which salvation is made available to all mankind. (John 1:1, Romans 5:8, John 3:16)

 

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is offered by grace, and obtained through an obedient faith manifested in repentance, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism for the remission of sins. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 1:5, Acts 3:19, Romans 10:9, Acts 2:38)

 

SCRIPTURES

We believe that the scriptures, both Old and New Testament, are God’s inspired word, provided through the medium of the Holy Spirit, in which the scriptures are infallible, inherent, and immutable. (2 Tim. 3:15-16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

 

BODILY RESURRECTION

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the physical grave, which guarantees the bodily resurrection of all believers at the second coming. (1 Cor. 15:1-4, 53-58)

ONE CHURCH

We believe that The Lord Jesus Christ established one Church on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection, through the medium of the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and designed to be inclusive of all races. (Matt. 16:18, Acts 2:37-47)

 

SECOND COMING

We believe that the Second Coming of Christ is a future expectation of the believer that will take place at an undisclosed time, in which Christ will descend from Heaven to receive his saints in the sky to usher them to glory to be forever in the presence of the Lord. (2 Peter 3:4-10, 1 Thess. 4:13-18)

 

WORSHIP

We believe that worship is an activity governed by the principle of “in spirit and truth”, in which worship must be genuinely expressed through five Christ- centered activities; these activities are praying, giving, singing, receiving of the word, and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. (John 4:23-24, Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:1-2, Ephesians 5:19, 1 Cor. 11:23-27).

 

LEADERSHIP

We believe that the local Church should be placed in the care of a plurality of leadership consisting of The Man of God, who leads and ministers to the congregation through the word, Elders who spiritually guard the flock, and Deacons who serve in the official capacity. (2 Tim. 4:1-5, Acts 20:28-31, 1 Tim. 3:8-13)

Commonly Asked Questions

At the Church of Christ in Forest Hill, we hold firmly to the teachings of the Bible as our sole guide for faith and practice. Our beliefs are rooted in Scripture and reflect our desire to follow Christ faithfully in every aspect of life and worship.

 

In a divided religious world, we believe that the Bible is the final authority in all religious matters. The appeal is to go back to the Bible. It is a plea for unity in Christ through the Gospel of Christ. We believe in following biblical principles for Christian living, and doing those things which are commanded of New Testament Christians. The objective is to teach the truth of God’s Word and to manifest the love of Christ to a dying world that they may experience his saving grace.

The original authorship of the sixty-six books which make up the Bible we believe to be divinely inspired by God, by which we mean that they are infallible and authoritative. The basic textbook of the church and the basis for all preaching is the Bible. Within the scriptures lie the answers to every religious question. The scriptures are the final word. “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” –John 5:39

The word baptize comes from the Greek word “baptizo” and literally means, “to dip, to immerse, to plunge.” In addition to the literal meaning of the word, immersion is practiced because it was the practice of the church in apostolic times. Only immersion conforms to the description of baptisms as given by the apostle Paul in Romans 6:3-5 where he speaks of it as a burial and resurrection.

Following the plan of organization found in the New Testament, churches of Christ are autonomous. Our common faith in the Bible and adherence to its teachings are the chief ties which bind us together. There is no central headquarters or president, pope or single head authority other than Jesus Christ himself. Local congregations operate under the leadership of an Evangelist (Man of God) and elders in each local congregation. Congregations do cooperate voluntarily in supporting various ministry outreaches for example, orphans, education and missionary work. Churches also fellowship together in gospel meetings, lectureships and other occasions.

Members of the church of Christ assemble for worship on the first day of the week. A component of the worship experience is the eating of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 11:23-29). Unless providentially hindered, each member considers this weekly appointment as a binding celebration of the Lord’s victorious death as we anticipate his glorious return.

This local church practices acapella singing, consistent with the practice of the early church. Singing is an act of praise toward God and a means of encouraging one another (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). While the activity of singing is quite powerful in our culture and the church, it is the content of the singing that educates us to the goodness of God who saved us through our Lord Jesus Christ. To this end, it is an intimate part of our worship.

How to Become a Member

Membership into the church of Christ means membership into the body of Christ.  No one votes or asks you to apply for membership.  In the salvation of one’s soul there are two necessary parts: God’s offer of salvation, and one’s reception of salvation.

 

God’s offer is articulated by Paul in this way, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life and teaching of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the gospel to men constitute God’s offer of salvation.

 

Though God’s offer of salvation is essential, one’s response is also necessary. Your response is outlined in the Bible in the following steps.

  • Hear the Gospel.  “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14)
  • Believe. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
  • Repent of past sins. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19 NASB95)
  • Confess Jesus as Lord. “(9)that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (10) for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9–10 NASB95)
  • Be Baptized.“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’.” (Acts 2:38).
  • Live a Christian life. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)